The Rocky Road to Romance tells the story of Daisy Adams, a very busy doctoral student, and the beginning of her love life with Steve Crow. Daisy works multiple jobs to support herself through college, such as writing cookbooks for dog treats and delivering newspapers. After the moderate success of her cookbook, she convinces Steve to give her a five minute spot on his radio station to share her dog treat recipes. In the introduction to the novel, the traffic reporter for Steve's radio station hits a garbage truck and breaks his leg. Daisy petitions to take his place while he recuperates. Though Steve feels misgivings about Daisy's qualifications for the traffic reporting job, he relents as no one else expresses interest in the job.

Soon after Daisy takes the job, romantic sparks fly between Steve and Daisy. Steve even adopts a dog to give him an excuse to see Daisy outside of work. The addition of a dog necessitates the purchase of a larger car and a new house. Steve feels protective of her, and Daisy enjoys his attention. On her second day of traffic reporting, she reports to the scene of a drug dealer's apprehension. When the dealer, the Roach, attempts to get away, Daisy accidentally runs over him with her car. They incident gives her immediate notoriety, which causes Steve to fear for her safety. His fears appear to be well-founded when someone begins attempts on Daisy's life.

At first, Steve attempts to fire Daisy from the traffic reporting job, but she refuses. Then, he insists on a body guard, for which Daisy hires the elderly Elsie Hawkins, who Daisy met while working in the nursing home. After Elsie uses her large handgun to scare away a would-be intruder from Daisy's house, Steve insists that Elsie, Daisy and Daisy's teenage brother, Kevin, move into his newly acquired house. Days after they move in, however, Steve takes Daisy to a fund raiser to meet his Aunt Zena. While there, Daisy accidentally foils an assassination attempt on an international businessman. During news coverage of the incident, the news person mentions that Daisy currently lives with Steve Crow. That evening, Steve's new house suffers from a firebombing.

The multiple attempts on Daisy's life causes the Washington DC police to assign her around-the-clock protection. Not to be deterred, however, Steve holds to a promise to give Daisy a fun day out. He takes Kevin, who is staying with Daisy while her parents are out of town, Elsie and Daisy to a local amusement park. The police protection also tags along. While enjoying their day out, Daisy confesses to Steve that she has grown weary of her studies in geriatric psychology. He listens supportively and turns the conversation to playful flirting when he feels it gets too deep. Once everyone is satisfied with their day out, they pile into Steve's SUV for the trip home. On the way, a large, classic Cadillac attempts to run them off the road. When Elsie takes a few shots at it, the car speeds off. When Steve returns them to his house, they learn that the attackers stole Elsie's car to run them off the highway. Steve begins to doubt that the men after Elsie are the same drug dealer that she ran over, because such actions would undermine his upcoming trial.

Soon after the attack on the highway, Steve's parents drop in for a visit. The Crows enjoy great wealth from oil deposits discovered on their family's Indian reservation. Mrs. Crow assumes Daisy and Steve are engaged. She produces a huge, heirloom diamond ring, which Daisy accepts. Inwardly, however, Daisy begins to panic that the relationship is moving too fast. Soon after this, she tells Steve that she is moving back to her townhouse. However, Steve continues to see Daisy daily, even bribing Kevin with food.

On one such occasion, Steve takes everyone out for fast food. While waiting to order, Elsie spots her Cadillac in the drive thru. She peels out of the parking lot in Steve's SUV, just behind the Cadillac. Kevin, Daisy and Steve scramble into the truck. The police also follow. The chase ends in a nearby subdivision when the Cadillac spins out, and Elsie hits it in the side with the SUV. Three police cars also crash into the pileup. Steve's SUV sustains substantial damage, and the police cars are totaled. The Cadillac emerges without a scratch. Daisy learns that the men after her were actually rival drug dealers of the Roach. They hoped to make him look bad for his upcoming trial.

After the criminal activity dies down and Kevin moves back in with her parents, Daisy tells Steve that she needs a break from their relationship, to finish her dissertation and get her life in order. She agrees to keep the ring, however. She also agrees to allow Steve to spend the night just once, before she begins the break.

Two months later, Daisy speeds to Steve's house on her way to one of her last days as the traffic reporter. She immediately gets sick and blames the stress of her dissertation. Steve hopes that the wait for the results of her paper will come soon. He invites Daisy over for dinner, and she accepts, though she must first see her doctor. She hopes her malady is only the result of a vitamin deficiency.

Late that night, Daisy fails to show up for their date. Steve begins to worry and even calls local hospitals. Finally, she shows up, in tears. She explains that she carries his baby. After waking from a faint, Steve asks if the news of a baby upsets Daisy. She responds negatively, claiming that the tears are only a result of hormones. After both agree to marriage, they toast their new family with sparkling cider.